


It is Your Birthday

by QueenOfDestielLand



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Birthday Fluff, Cas in Birthday Hats, Castiel's Birthday, Fluff and Angst, Humor, M/M, Sappy Dean Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-25
Updated: 2019-02-25
Packaged: 2019-11-05 13:54:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17920079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenOfDestielLand/pseuds/QueenOfDestielLand
Summary: It's Castiel's birthday - at least, Dean says it is. There's no real way of knowing when the angel was actually born, but Dean wants to honor him anyway. So WHAT if he goes a little crazy with the planning and the streamers and confetti? He wants his best friend to have the perfect day. He just doesn't expect what happens next.





	It is Your Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> Hello lovelies! I've been going through all my old fics and thought I would repost this one. Tell me what you think!
> 
> For a look at the cake I had in mind, go to this link: 
> 
> https://c1.staticflickr.com/7/6049/6999324901_024e28ab2e_b.jpg

It had been two months since the Mark of Cain had been unceremoniously burned off his arm, thanks to a spell that Crowley had tortured out of his unwilling mother.

Everything slowly returned to normal for the Winchesters and their family - well, as normal as they _could_ be, anyway. Castiel moved into the bunker, finally leaving the angels to deal with Heaven themselves, and for him to be able to start his own life. Gabriel eventually did too, after he began a relationship with the youngest Winchester brother, much to Dean's chagrin.

" _Him_ , Sammy? Really?" Dean had shouted when he walked into Sam's bedroom one day and accidentally got more than an eyeful of naked archangel ass.

"Yes, _him_!" Sam retorted, scrambling to pull his pants back on. "Why? Is it because he's a guy? Because I've seen the way you look at - "

"No, you idiot!" Dean had quickly cut him off, covering his eyes with his hands. "No! It's because Gabriel is a dick who killed me like 100 times in one day before! Or did you forget that little detail?"

"He was just doing it to _help_ me, Dean!" Sam snapped, finally managing to put himself together. "He wanted to get me used to what life would be like without you! You had just sold your soul to bring me back to life, remember! And furthermore -"

This went on for several minutes while the two angels and Charlie stood by watching the scene with amused looks on their faces and drinking a hot steaming cup of Charlie's famous hot cocoa. 

Still, Dean could feel the guilt flare up deep inside him every time he walked past the angel, who still smiled at him like the sun shined out of Dean's ass and nothing was wrong. Like he hadn't very recently attempted to kill Castiel with his own blade. Sometimes, Dean wanted to shake him and demand what he was thinking for not hating the hunter with a passion, but when those blue eyes locked on his, Dean knew what the answer would be. He was afraid of it, too. So, he did the only thing he knew how whenever he royally fucked up.

He began doting on the angel to make up for it. 

Dean started making Castiel breakfast at the crack of dawn and taking it to his room, despite the fact his best friend didn't actually need to eat. He let Castiel ride shotgun in the Impala during hunts, making Sam sit in the back. He sat through an entire 'Bee Week' special on the Discovery Channel, with an excited angel by his side. He bought Castiel a pair of adult onesie pajamas with bees on them as a joke to make him smile, but it was Dean who couldn't stop grinning like an idiot when his friend happily wore them anyway. He nearly lost it when the angel decided to wear the pajamas on a routine hunt and the vampire was so surprised by Castiel's choice in attire that he just stood there laughing while the angel smited him. 

Good times.

"I wonder when Cas' birthday is," Dean said one day, while the brothers were having a _Grimm_ marathon. The two angels were off at the grocery store, stocking up on supplies for the next week. 

Sam looked away from the T.V. for a moment, confused at the question. "What? Where did that come from?" 

Dean shrugged, taking a swig of his beer. "I was just thinking, you know."

The younger Winchester glanced towards the show again, wondering if he had missed something that brought this on. Nope, Nick Burkhardt had just been turned into a zombie, the farthest thing from confetti and balloons, in fact. "Why don't you ask him?" he said.

"It's not nice to ask a person's age, Sammy," Dean replied.

"It's not nice to ask a lady's age, not a millennium old angel."

"Whatever." Dean rose to his feet, stretching his arms wide. "Honestly, I don't even think he knows when it is."

"We could try asking Gabriel, too," Sam offered. "But are you gonna tell me why?"

Dean felt a little embarrassed and looked away. "I just thought it would be cool to throw him a party you know? Cake, presents, the whole nine."

Sam turned off the T.V. and walked over to where his brother stood. "What's going on, Dean? You've been waiting on Cas hand and foot lately. I mean... I think it's sweet and all, but why are you doing it?"

Dean rolled his eyes. "Can't a guy just do something nice for his best friend?"

Sam seemed skeptical at that. "Maybe, but you've been going above and beyond lately. What's this really about?"

Guilt flickered in Dean's eyes at the question. "I just... I almost _killed_ him, Sammy." He looked haunted as he thought back to that horrible day, one that kept him up nights and invaded his dreams. "I just keep replaying that whole fucked up scene in my mind. His blade in my hand, raised above him, ready to shove it down into his heart..." He swallowed hard. "He grabbed my wrist, begging me to stop. I didn't think I could. I almost didn't want to." The hunter's voice was a whisper now. "It took every last ounce of willpower in me not to do it."

Sam put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "I know you wouldn't have killed Cas. You two have been through way too much together."

"Yeah, but every time I close my eyes I keep seeing his broken, battered face. _I_ did that to him. Me!" He took a shaky breath. "He could have died, and it would have been all my fault."

"But he didn't."

"He almost did!" Dean snapped, running a hand through his hair. "And he hasn't said a single fucking word to me about it! He still looks at me like... like..."

"Like you're his whole world?"

The older Winchester stopped, slowly looking towards his brother. He had never put it into words before - maybe he had been too afraid to. The way Castiel looked at him had always been intense, unnerving even. It used to be cold and calculating, as if the angel was trying to figure Dean out. Now, those blue eyes gazed at him as if Dean meant everything to him, though that was impossible. There was no way a person as good as Castiel could ever actually love a fuck-up like Dean Winchester.

"I just want to do this for him," he said finally, so quietly that Sam almost didn't hear him. "You and I haven't celebrated a birthday in ages. It seems like all we do is hunt monsters and plan funerals. We need something good in our lives, man."

"I agree." Sam replied. "I'll help you plan the party, if you want."

"Really? Thanks, Sammy."

"Of course. Cas is my friend too. I'll pray to Gabriel and ask him to sneak some party supplies back here -"

"No!" Dean said quickly. "Let me do it. I want to make sure everything is right." Dean picked up his keys from the table next to them. 

"Wait a minute," Sam laughed. "You don't even know when his birthday is!"

"Don't care," Dean called out, already heading towards the door. "I want to throw him one tomorrow, to make up for lost time."

"Well, don't take forever! Gabriel is making his famous spaghetti pie!"

\--------------

Dean headed into town, so excited about the party he was going to throw for Castiel that he felt like his skin was being pulled in all directions at once. He sang along to the AC/DC cassette that he always listened to, tapping his thumbs on the steering wheel along to the beat. He nearly drove off the road when a well-dressed man with a black suit and red tie suddenly appeared in his passenger seat.

"Squirrel! Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

Dean shot him a glare once he got the Impala back into his own lane. "Dammit, Crowley! What have I told you about sneaking up on me like that!"

The demon waved him off, glancing out the window. "I just wanted to let you know the good news. I've got Mother Dearest locked up nice and tight. She won't be going anywhere for at least another hundred years."

Dean grinned a little at that. "Let the next generation sort her out? I like that. Me and Sammy will be too busy doing a little cloud seeding to care."

Crowley turned in his seat to regard him. "So things are going good with your angels, then?"

"Our angels?" Dean asked, ignoring the way his heart skipped a beat at the thought of Castiel being his. "Well, Sam has Gabriel, yeah. I was talking about me finding a nice lady angel to -"

"Sure, you were." Crowley looked out the window again. "For being such an intelligent guy, you really are bloody stupid sometimes."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dean demanded, turning the radio down since it didn't seem like the demon was going anywhere just yet.

"You and Feathers." Crowley shrugged, a newspaper appearing in his hands. "Don't tell me you've never thought about it before."

Dean didn't respond, his palms feeling sweaty as he gripped the steering wheel. Whatever feelings he may or may not have had for the angel were a moot point. He certainly wasn't going to discuss them with Crowley, of all people. "Is that all you wanted?" the hunter asked, desperate to change the subject. 

Crowley turned a page of the paper. "I can't wait for the new _Suicide Squad_ movie to come out," he remarked. 

Dean raised an eyebrow. "Really? I didn't know you liked that stuff."

"The geeks have inherited the Earth, Dean. Never thought I'd see it happen, but I'm glad it did. Now I can be open about my _Doctor Who_ obsession." He pulled open his jacket to reveal a T.A.R.D.I.S t-shirt underneath.

"I didn't know you cared about what other people thought," Dean replied, turning into the parking lot of the party store named _Confetti, It's a Party!_

Crowley smirked. "I thought you didn't care, either."

"What? I don't. I've been in this gig for too fucking long to give a damn about other people's negative opinion of me." Dean slid out of the car.

"Then what's stopping you?" Crowley asked, folding the paper and getting out as well.

"What are you talking about?"

"There you go again. Being a bloody oblivious moron." Crowley shook his head. "I'm off. Try not to get into too much trouble while I'm gone." 

Dean started reaching into his jacket for the knife he kept there but the demon disappeared. He looked around for a moment before he threw his hands up. Whatever. He wasn't going to let Cryptic Crowley ruin his day. He walked inside the party store, the smile back on his face.

\------------------  
  
The next day, Gabriel ushered Castiel out the door again at Sam's request. Dean had spent the better part of the afternoon at the party store, going through yards of ribbons and birthday wrapping. By the time he had gotten back home Sam was waiting for him like an angry wife with a cold plate of spaghetti pie and a dirty look that could melt steel beams. Now he knew what monsters felt like when they pissed off Sam Winchester.

The bunker was now decorated in sapphire blue streamers and black and yellow balloons. Dean had picked up a birthday cake that was almost three tiers high and covered in yellow fondant and adorable little bees. The brothers and Charlie worked for hours on the setup, with Dean going back over every tiny detail to make sure everything was perfect. Eventually both Sam and Charlie sat down and let Dean do it all himself, since he was being so picky about the whole thing.

"Dammit," Dean muttered, trying to wrap a particularly large gift he bought for the angel. It was a homemade popcorn machine that Castiel had pointed out one day when they went to the mall. 

"Did you have to get the biggest one they had?" Sam asked from the couch, munching on some gummy bears.

"He liked this one," Dean insisted, finally managing to tape the whole thing together. "There. That doesn't look too bad, does it?" 

"I think it's cute," Charlie said, earning a glare from Dean. She ignored him and gave him a wink. "Cas is gonna love it."

"How'd Gabriel manage to convince him to get outta the batcave for awhile, anyway?" Dean asked, focusing on wrapping a ribbon around a jar of blueberry marmalade. It was yet another thing that the angel seemed to love, even if it made no sense to the hunter. He didn't mind humoring him, though.

"He told Cas that you weren't feeling well and needed some special herb from Europe," Sam casually replied.

Dean stopped what he was doing to gape at his brother. "A bit far fetched, isn't it?"

Charlie shrugged. "Gabriel could have told him it was on the moon and Castiel still would have went. Anything for you, right?"

_Maybe you could fight the mark for years, maybe centuries like Cain did. But you cannot fight it forever, and when you finally turn, and you will turn, Sam and everyone you know, everyone you love, they could be long dead. Everyone except me. I'm the who'll have to watch you murder the world, so if there is even a small chance that we can save you I won't let you walk out of this room._

Castiel's words flashed in his mind and he felt like he'd been punched in the gut. Of course the angel would do anything for Dean, even if it meant going to the ends of the universe. Castiel had always been his guardian, his savior, even if it meant forsaking his own family. He choked back the emotions that were rising in his chest. How could Castiel even look him in the face after what he'd done? How could he still rush out to try and save Dean again, after Dean had thrown him around like a ragdoll in this very room? He felt sick, and he shakily rose to his feet, ready to rush to the bathroom and throw up the contents of his stomach.

The sound of the front door opening gave him pause and he glanced over at his two siblings who hadn't even noticed his current state. Good. He wasn't going to ruin this day. This was for Castiel, not him. He plastered a smile on his face and went to stand next to them. He took a deep breath, allowing his stomach to calm down. 

_Get a grip, Winchester!_

"We're home!" Gabriel called out as they rounded the corner.

"Dean, I'm so sorry, I couldn't find -" 

"SURPRISE!" Sam, Dean and Charlie yelled, throwing handfuls of confetti at the now confused angel.

Castiel said nothing for a moment, his eyes sliding between the three hunters and the table loaded with gifts and the bee cake. "I don't understand," he finally said.

"We don't know when your birthday is, Cas, but we wanted to throw you a party, anyway." Dean snapped a rainbow colored party hat on the angel's head. The angel tried to look up at it, only ending up with crossed eyes instead. 

Castiel turned to glare at Gabriel. "You told me Dean was hurt! Is this why you had me leave the bunker with you?"

The archangel put his hands up. "Sorry, little bro, I was just doing my duty as Samsquatch's boyfriend."

He glanced back at Dean, the blue eyes scrutinizing every inch of him. "You're not really hurt, then?"

"No. Sorry for lying to you, man. We just needed time to decorate it." Dean frowned, feeling like this was an utter failure now. "I just wanted you to have a special day, Cas."

"Every day has been special," the angel said, taking a step forward. "You have been so kind to me lately, Dean, and I hardly deserve it."

"What? How can you even say that? You've put up with my crap for years! You deserve more than a frickin' party - you should get an award."

Castiel was less than pleased at that, and jabbed a finger into Dean's chest. "I don't 'put up' with you, Dean Winchester! I moved in here so I could be around you and Sam, like I've always wanted. Why can't you understand that?"

The others had quietly left the room, realizing the time for celebration had temporarily come to an end. Dean and Castiel having this important talk, however, was long overdue.

"Are you forgetting what happened two months ago?" Dean snapped, running both his hands through his hair in frustration. His eyes landed on a bloodstain that none of them had been able to scrub out of the floor. It was yet another glaring reminder of what he had done. "I hurt you..." he whispered. "I tried to kill you."

Castiel put his hands on Dean's cheeks, forcing him to meet his eyes. "Are you forgetting that night in the crypt all those years ago, Dean? I nearly beat you to death! I had been mind controlled to kill you! I could only watch as my hands repeatedly struck you in the face, fighting to stop myself." Sadness dwelled in those sapphire orbs. "I've hurt you, too."

"That wasn't you, Cas!" Dean insisted, feeling that pesky emotion rise in his chest again. "That was Heaven and fucking Naomi!"

"And that wasn't you, either," Castiel replied, gesturing to the area where he had lain for hours until Sam came home and found him. 

"I just wanted to do this for you," Dean said softly. "To make up for what I did. To... to earn your forgiveness."

The angel stared at the hunter with such emotion that Dean felt like he might actually burst into tears. Castiel brushed a hand across Dean's cheek. "You had my forgiveness the moment it happened. You mean very much to me, Dean. I haven't exactly been perfect, either. I've done terrible things..."

"You always tried to do your best," Dean told him. 

"So did you." Castiel gestured to the birthday streamers and balloons that covered the walls and ceiling. "I've never had a birthday before. Thank you for this."

"Do you like it?" Dean asked, hopefully. 

"I love it," the angel reassured him. "I especially love the bee cake." 

"I love _you_ , Cas."

The words slipped out before he could stop them, and he wanted to immediately take them back, but he knew he couldn't. He simply stood there for what felt like hours, waiting for Castiel's inevitable rejection. The angel slowly turned, disbelief written on his face. "You do?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah. I really do."

"I love you, too, Dean." 

Well, it was go big or go home, right? Dean grabbed the angel and planted his lips on Castiel's, feeling fireworks explode in their mouths as all the passion and tension that had built up over the years was finally released. It was magical and beautiful and every other cheesy verb Dean could have come up with, but in those moments where he clutched the angel's trench tightly in his fist, there was only one thing that truly mattered...

 _My angel loves me, too._   



End file.
